More brokers searching for lenders who accept first-time landlords

This follows a raft of recent product and criteria changes by lenders.

More brokers searching for lenders who accept first-time landlords

In June lenders who accept first-time landlords was the most popular search on criteria sourcing system Knowledge Bank.

This follows a raft of recent product and criteria changes by lenders and suggests that potential landlords have not been put off by a loss of tax incentives and the ban on tenant fees.

Nicola Firth (pictured), chief executive of Knowledge Bank said, said: “The buy-to-let sector has taken a few punches over recent years with the removal of tax incentives, the ability to charge fees and even lenders going into administration.

“However, this is a resilient market and with competitive interest rates, and a wide product selection, potential landlords are asking brokers to find them a home for their loan requirements.

“Buy-to-let is another example of a sector where criteria changes are made on a daily basis so it’s vital for brokers to whittle down the lenders who will consider their clients in advance of any product sourcing. There’s no point finding a great product only to discover that your client is refused on criteria.”

Recent reports also show that product availability for first-time buy-to-let mortgages is the highest it has been for five years, coupled with an average fall in interest rates over the same period.

Other search highlights reveal that the maximum loan-to-value continues to be the most popular search for second charge loans and the minimum age of borrowers at application the most searched for criteria within equity release.